April 23, 2026 26-182 #14

At 0955 hours the Team was called to assist with a medical emergency on Bloody Mountain for a 45-year-old male in medical distress while ascending Bloody Mountain. It was reported that the subject collapsed while ascending with his group toward the Bloody Mountain summit ridge, at an elevation of approximately 11,400’. Rescue base was established at the intersection of Laurel Lakes Road and Sherwin Creek Road, and a significant team response ensued.

Operations requested air resources, and CHP Helicopter H42 from Fresno accepted. Operations directed a hasty team of two to be assigned to the incoming helicopter at Mammoth-Yosemite Airport (KMMH). Three rescue vehicles, a 4x4 Ranger, a 6x6 Ranger, and 2 snowmobiles were deployed to base. Captain Paul Zastoupil, a Chaplain from the Long Valley Fire Protection District also reported to base. Both rangers were assigned crews of backcountry snow travel and rigging personnel to support a bottom-up approach. As H42 approached the group’s location to reconnoiter, it was reported that CPR was in progress.

A Mono County EMS unit had already been staged near the Highway 203/Highway 395 intersection, and was moved to KMMH to prepare a paramedic for hoist insertion alongside the MOSAR team. H42 was stripped and reconfigured at KMMH, and the first of three insertions followed. The three hoist insertions were successful, and ALS care for the subject was established shortly after the second insertion.

A paramedic from Mono County EMS Medic 3 unit (also a MOSAR member) hoisting from CHP H42.

Despite the efforts of all involved, especially his group’s initial efforts prior to MOSAR and ALS arrival, the subject was ultimately pronounced deceased. The subject’s remains were prepared for extrication via hoist and transported shortly thereafter back to KMMH for release to the coroner. One rescuer and paramedic were hoisted out and returned to KMMH.

The final rescuer on scene descended with the rest of the group, where they were met by additional team members in the field. All personnel returned to base without incident, and the operation was terminated at 1625 hours. Thank you to our agency partners at CHP - Central Division Air Operations, Mono County EMS, and LVFPD and the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center.

IC: Rhoads Ops Leader: Haugh Responders: Anderson, Baron, Brownlee, Bush, Campbell, Creager, Cucura, Huizingh, Knecht, Lipman, Quiring, Romanova, Salay, Tardy, Trainor, Wilson, Wojciechowski, Zila, M. Thompson, Patterson